Tim Gunn, co-host of ABC’s new daytime show, The Revolution, has a lot to say when it comes to “making it work” in the fashion world.

The style guru is used to giving advice to the designers on Project Runway, but now he’s helping a Weight Watchers contest winner get fashion-fabulous.

Gunn, 58, talked to Parade.com about styling 26-year-old Abby Dale, who lost 100 pounds in the ‘Inspiring Stories’ Weight Watchers contest. He also dished on his new show, The Revolution, premiering this January. On styling real people vs. celebrities. “To be perfectly honest, I love real women. I love women who are navigating the world outside of the red carpet and who just want to feel better about themselves. At the core, I’m an educator, and when I work with a woman to recalibrate her style, it’s a collaboration. I don’t believe in making women into my dress-up dolls, so we do it together. I much prefer real women and not celebrities.”Photos: Top 10 Celebrity Fashion Designers

On his upcoming show, The Revolution. “It definitely is different. When it comes to the whole category of makeover, this is a lifestyle makeover. It’s your weight, it’s your health, it’s your nutrition, it’s your relationship, it’s your home, it’s your style — it’s one-stop shopping. There are five co-hosts: me, Ty Pennington, who certainly represents home, Dr. Jennifer Ashton, a leading women’s health expert, Dr. Tiffanie Davis Henry, a therapist and relationship expert, and Harley Pasternak, who is a trainer and nutritionist. By watching The Revolution, you get all that in one package. We follow a woman’s journey over five months. There’s a huge amount of take-away for audience members. It’s about information, inspiration, education. I’m hugely proud to be part of it.”

On the next season of Project Runway. Yes, season 10 has been announced and we’re doing it in New York. Does he ever get tired of hearing his famous catchphrase: “Make it work”? “Are you kidding? It’s music to my ears. I love hearing it. I started to say it on the Project Runway set in the workroom only because it’s what I said for years in my classrooms. I didn’t know it would come out as a catchphrase!”

On working with the ‘Inspiring Stories’ Weight Watchers contest winner. “Weight Watchers is grounded in the real world. It’s about being realistic about what your lifestyle is and recalibrating your life, as opposed to feeling like you’re joining some cult. We had thousands of women write in with inspiring stories and before and after pictures. We chose Abby Dale because her story was very emotional and very real. She was having tremendous heart palpitations and weighing almost 100 pounds more than she does today. She was frightened and thought, ‘I’m 26 years old. I need to change my life.’ You wouldn’t believe her today. She looks like a movie star. She looks like she should be walking the red carpet at the Oscars.'”

On styling women who experienced major weight-loss. “To begin, they’re brain hasn’t adjusted to the new body. This happened with Abby when we had her fitting. I had clothes that fit her, but she kept saying that they were too small. She’s used to clothes that have more volume. Women who are larger tend to want to wear larger clothes because they feel like they are hiding underneath them, but I say, ‘The more volume your clothes have, the more volume you appear to have.’ That’s the first psychological hurtle they have to go through.” On the one item of clothing they’re most excited to wear. “For most women, it’s about getting into a dress. They’ve been confined to separates and wearing great big tops and great big bottoms. They haven’t been wearing a dress and they probably haven’t even been wearing a heel, so it’s being able to dress up that seems to excite them the most.”

On his best holiday party style tip. “I used to always celebrate and praise the little black dress, but I have a different take this season. I want people to step out of their comfort zone and look at all the gorgeous colors and prints that are out there in party dresses. There’s tons of sparkle and everything’s affordable. There’s no reason to leave your budget when you’re shopping for party dresses. I’ve been doing a lot of it recently for various women I’m working with and I’m saying with seriousness that the most expensive item is $119, so I know it can be done.”